An Australian-first scheme to save regional cancer patients from having to travel to Sydney for clinical trials has been launched at the Orange Health Service.
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The Orange Clinical Trials Unit will be able to conduct trials of new drugs previously only done in capital cities.
Regional patients will be able to connect to doctors and nurses in Orange via videoconferencing between medical facilities.
The first patient, Rupert Williams, was enrolled in the Teletrials scheme via videoconferencing from Dubbo to Orange hospital on Wednesday, December 13.
Dr Rob Zielinski said that when the scheme was fully operational about 50 Orange cancer patients a year could access new and potentially life-saving treatments.
Dr Zielinski said only about five per cent of Orange patients currently participated in clinical trials as most were discouraged by the travel and costs involved in having to go to Sydney.
However, he said that up to 15 per cent would be able to undertake clinical trials once the scheme was in full swing.
“Trials save lives,” he said.
“It’s providing a significant degree of hope.”
Mr Williams will be one of about three patients who will be involved in the initial trial.
Dr Zielinski said the scheme was “world-pioneering.
“Instead of patients travelling to the cancer treatment for an experimental treatment, the treatment is being delivered to the patient.
“Videoconferencing is enabling patients to be enrolled and treated in their home location by linking into larger clinical trial sites.
“The Teletrials method will open up far more trials testing novel therapies to regional and rural patients.”
Dr Zielinski said he was unaware of it being successfully attempted elsewhere.
“If this Australian pilot is successful the method of running clinical trials will radically change for ever,” he said.
“The Orange clinical trials unit is currently in advanced discussions with a Sydney cancer centre to form a clinical trial network which will open up many more novel cancer therapies to the patients of the Central West.”
One cancer patient whose life has been prolonged by participating in a clinical trial is Don Wheeler of Lyndhurst.
However he has had to drive to Westmead hospital.
“I’ve traveled over 50,000 kilometres to get to the clinical trial,” he said.
He welcomed the Teletrials scheme which he said could save lives.